Aerosol generating device and method of operation thereof

Abstract

The aerosol generating device of the present invention includes a heater for heating an aerosol product, a gas sensor configured to sense the concentration of a specific gas, and a control unit for controlling the power supply to the heater, and the control unit determines one of a plurality of temperature profiles based on the sensing value of the gas sensor.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an aerosol generating device and a method of operation thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] Recently, there has been an increasing demand for alternative methods to overcome the drawbacks of conventional cigarettes. For example, there has been an increasing demand for methods of generating aerosol by heating an aerosol-generating material, rather than by burning a cigarette. As a result, research into heated aerosol generators has been actively conducted. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The most important core function of an aerosol generating device is to heat the aerosol product or to control the temperature of the aerosol product.

[0004] Conventional aerosol generators heat the aerosol product regardless of the actual heating level or temperature of the aerosol product. For example, in an induction heating aerosol generator, the temperature of a susceptor constituting a heater is measured directly or indirectly, and the temperature of the aerosol product is inferred based on the measured susceptor temperature, thereby controlling the heating of the aerosol product.

[0005] The aerosol generating device of the present invention is designed to provide the user with a uniform smoking experience by measuring the concentration of a specific gas generated when the aerosol product is heated and controlling the heating of the aerosol product based on the measured concentration of the specific gas.

[0006] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the embodiments belong from this specification and the accompanying drawings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] As a technical means for solving the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention can provide an aerosol generating device including a heater for heating an aerosol product, a gas sensor configured to sense the concentration of a specific gas, and a control unit for controlling the power supply to the heater, wherein the control unit determines one of a plurality of temperature profiles based on the sensing value of the gas sensor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The aerosol generating device of the present invention can sense the concentration of a specific gas generated when an aerosol product is heated. The aerosol product can be identified based on the sensed concentration of the specific gas. Furthermore, one of a plurality of temperature profiles can be determined based on the sensed concentration of the specific gas. Furthermore, the determined temperature profile can be fine-tuned based on the sensed gas concentration value, thereby providing a uniform smoking experience to the user. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating components of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing some components of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] 4 is a diagram illustrating a process of air movement caused by a user's puffing action in the aerosol generating device shown in FIG. 3. [Figure 5] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining a temperature profile according to one embodiment. [Figure 6]1 is a graph of a temperature profile of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] 1 is a graph of a temperature profile of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a method for adjusting a temperature profile according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The aerosol generating device of the present invention has the following embodiments.

[0011] An aerosol generating device according to one embodiment includes a heater for heating an aerosol product, a gas sensor configured to sense the concentration of a specific gas, and a control unit for controlling the power supply to the heater, and the control unit determines one of a plurality of temperature profiles based on the sensing value of the gas sensor.

[0012] A method for controlling the operation of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment includes the steps of starting the heating operation of a heater that heats an aerosol product, sensing the concentration of a specific gas in the aerosol generating device, and determining one of a plurality of temperature profiles based on the sensed value.

[0013] The terms used in the embodiments are currently commonly used terms, and are selected as much as possible while taking into consideration the functions of the present invention. However, this may vary depending on the intentions or precedents of engineers in the field, the emergence of new technologies, etc. In addition, in certain cases, the applicant may arbitrarily select terms, and in such cases, their meanings will be described in detail in the description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in the present invention must be defined based on the meanings of the terms and the overall content of the present invention, rather than simply the names of the terms.

[0014] Throughout the specification, when a part "includes" a certain component, it does not mean that it excludes other components and may further include other components, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, terms such as "... unit" and "... module" used in the specification refer to a unit that processes at least one function or operation, and may be realized by hardware or software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0015] As used herein, when a phrase such as "at least one of" precedes an array of elements, it modifies the entire array and not each individual element in the array. For example, the phrase "at least one of a, b, and c" should be interpreted as including a, b, and c, or a and b, a and c, b and c, or a, b, and c.

[0016] In one embodiment, the aerosol generating device is also a device that generates the aerosol by electrically heating a cigarette contained in the interior space.

[0017] The aerosol generating device includes a heater. In one embodiment, the heater is an electrically resistive heater. For example, the heater may include a conductive track, and when an electric current is passed through the conductive track, the heater can be heated.

[0018] The heater may include a tubular heating element, a plate-shaped heating element, a needle-shaped heating element, or a rod-shaped heating element, and may heat the inside or outside of the cigarette depending on the shape of the heating element.

[0019] Cigarettes include tobacco rods and filter rods. Tobacco rods can be made in sheet or strand form, and tobacco sheets can be made from shredded tobacco. The tobacco rods are also surrounded by a thermally conductive material. For example, the thermally conductive material can be a metal foil, such as aluminum foil, but is not limited to this.

[0020] The filter rod may also be a cellulose acetate filter. The filter rod may be composed of at least one or more segments. For example, the filter rod may include a first segment that cools the aerosol and a second segment that filters out specific components contained in the aerosol.

[0021] In other embodiments, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol using a cartridge that holds an aerosol generating substance.

[0022] The aerosol generating device includes a cartridge that holds an aerosol-generating material and a body that supports the cartridge. The cartridge may be detachably coupled to the body, but is not limited thereto. The cartridge may be formed integrally with the body or assembled and fixed so that it cannot be detached by a user. The cartridge may be attached to the body with the aerosol-generating material contained therein. However, is not limited thereto, and the aerosol-generating material may be injected into the cartridge when the cartridge is coupled to the body.

[0023] The cartridge holds an aerosol-forming material in any one of a variety of states, such as a liquid state, a solid state, a gas state, or a gel state. The aerosol-forming material may include a liquid composition. For example, the liquid composition may be a liquid containing a tobacco-containing substance including a volatile tobacco flavor component, or a liquid containing a non-tobacco substance.

[0024] The cartridge is activated by an electrical signal or a wireless signal transmitted from the main body, and functions to convert the phase of the aerosol-generating material inside the cartridge into a gas phase to generate an aerosol. The aerosol refers to a gas in which vaporized particles generated from the aerosol-generating material are mixed with air.

[0025] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device heats a liquid composition to generate an aerosol, and the generated aerosol can be transmitted to the user through the cigarette, i.e., the aerosol generated from the liquid composition travels along an airflow passage of the aerosol generating device, and the airflow passage can be configured to transmit the aerosol through the cigarette to the user.

[0026] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol from an aerosol generating material using an ultrasonic vibration method. In this case, the ultrasonic vibration method refers to a method of generating an aerosol by atomizing an aerosol generating material using ultrasonic vibrations generated by a vibrator.

[0027] The aerosol generating device includes a vibrator, and can atomize the aerosol generating material by generating short-period vibrations through the vibrator. The vibrations generated by the vibrator are ultrasonic vibrations, and the frequency band of the ultrasonic vibrations is approximately 100 kHz to 3.5 MHz, but is not limited thereto.

[0028] The aerosol generating device may further include a wick that absorbs the aerosol-generating substance. For example, the wick may be positioned to surround or contact at least a region of the transducer.

[0029] When a voltage (e.g., an AC voltage) is applied to the vibrator, heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations are generated from the vibrator, and the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibrator can be transferred to the aerosol-forming substance absorbed in the wick. The aerosol-forming substance absorbed in the wick can be converted into a gas phase by the heat and / or ultrasonic vibrations transferred from the vibrator, resulting in the generation of an aerosol.

[0030] For example, the viscosity of the aerosol-generating substance absorbed into the core is reduced by heat generated from the vibrator, and the reduced viscosity aerosol-generating substance is broken down into fine particles by ultrasonic vibrations generated from the vibrator, thereby generating an aerosol, but this is not limited to this.

[0031] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device is a device that generates an aerosol by heating an aerosol product contained in the aerosol generating device by induction heating.

[0032] The aerosol generating device includes a susceptor and a coil. In one embodiment, the coil applies a magnetic field to the susceptor. When power is supplied from the aerosol generating device to the coil, a magnetic field can be formed inside the coil. In one embodiment, the susceptor is a magnetic material that generates heat when an external magnetic field is applied. The susceptor is located inside the coil, and generates heat when a magnetic field is applied, thereby heating the aerosol product. Alternatively, the susceptor can be located inside the aerosol product.

[0033] In yet another embodiment, the aerosol generating device may further include a cradle.

[0034] The aerosol generating device may be combined with a separate cradle to form a system. For example, the cradle may charge a battery of the aerosol generating device. Alternatively, the heater may heat the aerosol generating device when the cradle and the aerosol generating device are combined.

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. The present invention may be embodied in a form that can be embodied in the aerosol generating device of the various embodiments described above, or may be embodied in various different forms, and is not limited to the embodiments described herein.

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 1, an aerosol generating device 10 according to one embodiment includes a housing 100 into which an aerosol product 20 is inserted.

[0039] The housing 100 forms the overall appearance of the aerosol generation device 10 and includes an internal space (or "arrangement space") in which the components of the aerosol generation device 10 are arranged. In FIG. 1, an embodiment in which the cross section of the housing 100 is formed into a generally semicircular shape is shown, but the shape of the housing 100 is not limited thereto. Depending on the embodiment (not shown), the housing 100 may be formed into a generally cylindrical shape or a polygonal prism shape (e.g., a triangular prism or a quadrangular prism).

[0040] The internal space of the housing 100 is arranged with components for heating the aerosol product 20 inserted into the housing 100 to generate an aerosol, and components for detecting the user's puffing action, and detailed explanations of these will be provided later.

[0041] The housing 100 includes an opening 100h through which the aerosol product article 20 is inserted into the interior of the housing 100. At least a portion of the aerosol product article 20 can be inserted or housed inside the housing 100 through the opening 100h.

[0042] The aerosol production product 20 inserted or housed inside the housing 100 can be heated inside the housing 100, resulting in the generation of aerosol. The aerosol generated inside the housing 100 is discharged to the outside of the aerosol generation device 10 through the inserted aerosol production product 20 and / or the space between the aerosol production product 20 and the opening 100h, and the user can inhale the discharged aerosol.

[0043] The aerosol generating device 10 may further include a display D on which visual information is displayed.

[0044] The display D is arranged so that at least a portion of the display D is exposed to the outside of the housing 100, and the aerosol generating device 10 can provide various visual information to the user through the display D.

[0045] For example, the aerosol generating device 10 may provide information regarding whether a user has performed a puffing action and / or information regarding the number of remaining puffs of the inserted aerosol product 20 through the display D. The aerosol generating device 10 may also provide information regarding an identified aerosol product through the display D. However, this is merely an example, and the information provided through the display D is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0046] 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating components of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment, taken along the line AA' of the aerosol generating device shown in FIG.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 2, an aerosol generating device 10 (for example, the aerosol generating device 10 of FIG. 1) according to one embodiment includes a housing 100 (for example, the housing 100 of FIG. 1), a heater assembly 200, an airflow passage 300, and sensors 401, 402.

[0048] The housing 100 forms the overall appearance of the aerosol generating device 10 and includes an interior space in which components of the aerosol generating device 10 are disposed. For example, but not limited to, the heater assembly 200, the airflow passage 300, and the sensors 401 and 402 are disposed in the interior space of the housing 100.

[0049] The housing 100 includes an opening 100h, through which at least a portion of the aerosol product 20 can be inserted (or accommodated) inside the housing 100. Although the drawings show an embodiment in which the opening 100h is formed in a region of the housing 100 facing the +z direction, the arrangement of the opening 100h is not limited to the embodiment shown.

[0050] The heater assembly 200 is located in the interior space of the housing 100 and heats the aerosol-producing article 20 inserted into the interior of the housing 100 through the opening 100h to generate an aerosol.

[0051] The heater assembly 200 includes an accommodation space 200i for accommodating at least a portion of the aerosol production product 20 inserted into the housing 100 through the opening 100h, and a heater (not shown) that generates heat when power is supplied. At least a region of the aerosol production product 20 accommodated in the accommodation space 200i is heated by the heater, and vaporized particles generated by heating the aerosol production product 20 mix with air introduced into the interior space of the housing 100 through the opening 100h, thereby generating an aerosol.

[0052] The heater of the heater assembly 200 may include an induction heater. For example, the heater may include a coil (or "conductive coil") that generates an alternating magnetic field when power is supplied thereto, and a susceptor that generates heat due to the alternating magnetic field generated by the coil. The susceptor is disposed to surround at least a portion of the outer periphery of the aerosol product article 20 inserted inside the housing 100, and can heat the inserted aerosol product article 20.

[0053] The heater of the heater assembly 200 may include an electrical resistance heater. For example, the heater may include a film heater disposed to surround at least a portion of the outer periphery of the aerosol product article 20 inserted inside the housing 100. The film heater includes conductive tracks, and when an electric current is passed through the conductive tracks, the film heater generates heat and can heat the aerosol product article 20 inserted inside the housing 100.

[0054] The heater of the heater assembly 200 may include at least one of a needle heater, a rod heater, and a tubular heater that heats the inside of the aerosol product article 20 inserted into the housing 100. The heaters described above can be inserted into at least one region of the aerosol product article 20, for example, to heat the inside of the aerosol product article 20.

[0055] The heater is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the heater may be embodied in any manner as long as it can heat the aerosol product 20 to a specified temperature. In the present invention, the "specified temperature" refers to the temperature at which the aerosol-generating material contained in the aerosol product 20 is heated to generate an aerosol. The specified temperature is a temperature that is preset in the aerosol generation device 10, but the temperature can be changed depending on the type of the aerosol generation device 10 and / or user operation.

[0056] The airflow passage 300 is located between the housing 100 and the heater assembly 200 in the internal space of the housing 100, and can fluidly communicate (or fluidly connect) the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 with the accommodating space 200i of the heater assembly 200.

[0057] The airflow passage 300 may be arranged to connect an air inlet 300i formed in one region of the housing 100 (e.g., one region in the +z direction) to an air outlet 300e formed in the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200 while being spaced apart from the heater assembly 200. For example, the airflow passage 300 may be formed in a substantially U-shape while being spaced apart from the heater assembly 200 and be arranged to surround the heater assembly 200, but the shape of the airflow passage 300 is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0058] The above-mentioned arrangement structure of the air flow passage 300 provides fluid communication between the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 and the inside of the storage space 200i, and as a result, air outside the aerosol generating device 10 (hereinafter referred to as "outside air") flows into the inside of the air flow passage 300 through the air inlet 300i, then moves along the air flow passage 300 and can move into the inside of the storage space 200i through the air outlet 300e.

[0059] The airflow passage 300 is positioned at a specified distance d from the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200, so that the temperature and / or pressure of the airflow passage 300 is not affected by the heat generated by the heater of the heater assembly 200.

[0060] The first sensor 401 may be disposed adjacent to the airflow passage 300, spaced a predetermined distance d from the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200. The first sensor 401 may detect a temperature change or a pressure change in the airflow passage 300 due to the user's puffing action in order to detect the user's puffing action.

[0061] The first sensor 401 may include a pressure sensor for detecting a pressure change, and may detect a pressure change in the airflow passage 300 due to a user's puffing action through the pressure sensor. As another example, the first sensor 401 may include a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature change, and may detect a temperature change in the airflow passage 300 due to a user's puffing action through the temperature sensor.

[0062] The first sensor 401 includes both a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor, and is also capable of detecting both pressure and temperature changes in the airflow passage 300 due to the user's puffing action.

[0063] The second sensor 402 may be disposed within the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200. The second sensor 402 may be disposed within the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly, spaced a certain distance from the aerosol production product 20. The aerosol production product 20 is heated by the heater assembly 200 to generate an aerosol, and the second sensor 402 is disposed within the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly and can sense the concentration of a specific gas in the aerosol. The location of the second sensor 402 is not limited to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and the second sensor 402 may be disposed anywhere within the aerosol generating device as long as it is capable of sensing the concentration of a specific gas in the aerosol generated in the aerosol production product 20.

[0064] The aerosol generating device 10 may further include a control unit 410 and a battery 420.

[0065] The control unit 410 can generally control the operation of the aerosol generating device 10. In one example, the control unit 410 is electrically or operatively coupled to the heater of the heater assembly 200 and can control the operation of the heater.

[0066] The control unit 410 is electrically or operatively connected to the first sensor 401 and can detect a user's puffing action based on a pressure change or a temperature change in the airflow passage 300 detected by the first sensor 401.

[0067] In the present invention, the expression "operatively connected" means a state in which components are connected to exchange signals via wireless communication, optical signals and / or magnetic signals, etc., and this expression will be used in the same meaning hereinafter.

[0068] The control unit 410 is electrically or operatively connected to the second sensor 402 and can control the operation of the heater assembly 200 based on the concentration of a specific gas sensed by the second sensor 402 .

[0069] The control unit 410 may be disposed or mounted on a printed circuit board (not shown) located in the interior space of the housing 100, and may be electrically or operatively connected to the heater and / or first sensor 401 through an electrical connection member (e.g., a cable, a C-clip, a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB), etc.) that connects the printed circuit board to the heater and / or first sensor 401 of the heater assembly 200. However, the arrangement and structure of the control unit 410 is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the arrangement and structure of the control unit 410 may be changed depending on the embodiment.

[0070] The battery 420 can supply power necessary for the operation of the aerosol generating device 10. For example, the battery 420 can supply power to the heater of the heater assembly 200 to heat the heater. As another example, the battery 420 can supply power necessary for the operation of the control unit 410 or power necessary for the operation of the first sensor 401 and the second sensor 402.

[0071] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, a specific configuration of the heater assembly 200 of the aerosol generation device 10 and the movement of air caused by the user's puffing action will be described in detail.

[0072] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of some components of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment, specifically showing the heater assembly 200 of the aerosol generating device 10 of FIG.

[0073] 3, an aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment includes a housing 100, a heater assembly 200, an airflow passage 300, a first sensor 401, and a second sensor 402. At least one of the components of the aerosol generating device 10 according to an embodiment is the same as or similar to at least one of the components of the aerosol generating device 10 shown in FIG. 2, and therefore, a duplicated description will be omitted below.

[0074] The heater assembly 200 is located in the internal space of the housing 100 and includes a storage space 200i for storing an aerosol product 20 inserted into the internal space of the housing 100 through the opening 100h, and a heater 210 for heating the aerosol product 20 stored in the storage space 200i.

[0075] According to one embodiment, the heater 210 includes a coil 211 and a susceptor 212, and can heat at least a region of the aerosol product 20 contained in the containing space 200i by induction heating.

[0076] The coil 211 is arranged to surround the outer circumferential surface of the susceptor 212, is supplied with power from a battery (for example, the battery 420 in FIG. 2), and is capable of generating an alternating magnetic field.

[0077] The susceptor 212 is disposed so as to surround at least a portion of the outer circumferential surface of the aerosol product 20 accommodated in the accommodation space 200i, and can heat the aerosol product 20 accommodated in the accommodation space 200i. For example, the susceptor 212 generates heat by the alternating magnetic field generated by the coil 211, thereby heating the aerosol product 20 accommodated in the accommodation space 200i.

[0078] However, the embodiments of the heater 210 are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and depending on the embodiment, the heater 210 may also include an electrical resistance heater that heats the inside and / or outside of the aerosol product 20 contained in the containment space 200i.

[0079] The heater assembly 200 may further include a thermal insulation structure 220 for enclosing the heater 210 .

[0080] The insulating structure 220 is arranged to surround the heater 210, sealing the heater 210 and preventing droplets generated during the aerosol generation process through the heater 210 from leaking out of the heater assembly 200, thereby preventing the components of the aerosol generation device 10 from malfunctioning or being damaged by the droplets.

[0081] Furthermore, the insulating structure 220 seals the heater 210 and prevents the heat generated by the heater 210 from being transferred to the outer surface of the housing 100, thereby preventing high-temperature heat from being transferred to the body (e.g., the palm) of the user holding the housing 100 even when the temperature of the heater 210 is maintained at a high temperature.

[0082] The heat insulating structure 220 includes a first structure 221 disposed to surround one region (e.g., a lower end region and a side region) of the outer circumferential surface of the heater 210, and a second structure 222 located at the upper end of the first structure 221 and covering another region (e.g., an upper end region) of the outer circumferential surface of the heater 210. The heater 210 is located in an internal space formed by the first structure 221 and the second structure 222, and the first structure 221 and the second structure 222 can enclose the heater 210 located in the internal space.

[0083] The second structure 222 is coupled to at least a region of the upper end of the first structure 221, but is not limited to this. In other embodiments (not shown), the first structure 221 and the second structure 222 may be integrally formed.

[0084] The air flow passage 300 is arranged to be separated from the heater assembly 200 and to fluidly connect the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 with the storage space 200i of the heater assembly 200, and can act as a flow path for outside air to flow into the storage space 200i.

[0085] The airflow passage 300 may be arranged to connect an air inlet 300i formed in one region of the housing 100 to an air outlet 300e formed in the receiving space 200i of the heater assembly 200. In this case, the air outlet 300e is formed to penetrate at least one region of the heater assembly 200, and the interior of the receiving space 200i is connected to the airflow passage 300.

[0086] The outside air flows into the receiving space 200i through the air flow passage 300. The outside air that flows into the receiving space 200i mixes with vaporized particles that are generated when the aerosol-producing product 20 is heated by the heater 210, thereby generating an aerosol.

[0087] The first sensor 401 is disposed adjacent to the airflow passage 300 and can detect a temperature change or a pressure change in the airflow passage 300. For example, the first sensor 401 is disposed in a passage that branches off from one point of the airflow passage 300 in a direction away from the heater assembly 200 and detects a temperature change or a pressure change in the airflow passage 300 due to a user's puffing action, but the arrangement of the first sensor 401 is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0088] The first sensor 401 may include, but is not limited to, a pressure sensor to detect a change in pressure in the airflow passage 300 due to a user's puffing action. Alternatively, the first sensor 401 may include a temperature sensor to detect a change in temperature in the airflow passage 300 due to a user's puffing action.

[0089] Information regarding the temperature change or pressure change in the airflow passage 300 detected by the first sensor 401 is transmitted to a processor (e.g., the control unit 410 in FIG. 2), and the processor can detect whether or not a puffing action has occurred by the user based on the temperature change or pressure change in the airflow passage 300 detected by the first sensor 401.

[0090] The airflow passage 300 may be positioned at a specified distance (e.g., specified distance d in FIG. 2) from the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200 so that the temperature and / or pressure inside the airflow passage 300 does not change due to the heat generated by the heater 210.

[0091] The second sensor 402 includes a gas sensor sensitive to a specific gas, and is capable of sensing the specific gas component of the aerosol present in the accommodation space 200 i of the heater assembly 200 .

[0092] The gas sensor according to one embodiment is also a semiconductor gas sensor. The gas sensor is an N-type semiconductor gas sensor, particularly a tin oxide gas sensor. The N-type semiconductor sensor decreases in electrical resistance in the presence of reducing gases such as carbon monoxide (CO) or ammonia. The N-type semiconductor sensor increases in electrical resistance in the presence of oxidizing gases such as oxygen, nitric oxide (NO), or nitrogen dioxide (NO2). A P-type semiconductor gas sensor may also be used. The P-type semiconductor gas sensor operates in a manner opposite to that of the N-type semiconductor sensor, increasing electrical resistance in the presence of reducing gases and decreasing electrical resistance in the presence of oxidizing gases. The second sensor 402 can sense the concentration of a specific gas by analyzing the degree of decrease in electrical resistance.

[0093] A gas sensor according to one embodiment is also an optical gas sensor. The optical gas sensor includes a light-emitting element that emits light, a light-receiving element that receives light, and an optical waveguide positioned between the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element and providing a path for the light. The light-emitting element emits infrared light. The light-receiving element receives the infrared light. The light emitted from the light-emitting element travels through the optical waveguide and reaches the light-receiving element. Each gaseous substance has the property of strongly absorbing light of a specific wavelength. Since each gas present in the optical waveguide strongly absorbs light of a specific wavelength, the optical absorption spectrum sensed by the light-receiving element varies depending on the type of gas present in the optical waveguide. The gas sensor can sense the concentration of a specific gas by analyzing the optical absorption spectrum sensed by the light-receiving element. In one embodiment, the heater assembly 200 forms one surface of the optical waveguide. Specifically, the susceptor 212 that constitutes the heater assembly may also be made of metal and may form one surface of an optical waveguide, providing a path along which light emitted from the light-emitting element travels.

[0094] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the process of air movement due to a user's puffing action in the aerosol generating device shown in Figure 3. The aerosol generating device 10 shown in Figure 4 is substantially the same as or similar to the aerosol generating device 10 of Figure 3, and therefore, a duplicated description will be omitted below.

[0095] Referring to FIG. 4, an aerosol generating device 10 according to one embodiment can detect pressure changes or temperature changes in the airflow passage 300 through a first sensor 401, and detect a user's puffing action based on the detected pressure changes or temperature changes in the airflow passage 300.

[0096] When a user touches the mouth of the aerosol generating device 20 to perform a puffing action, a pressure difference occurs between the outside of the aerosol generating device 10 and the interior space of the housing 100, causing external air to flow into the housing 100 through the air inlet 300i. The external air flowing into the housing 100 travels along the air flow path 300 and reaches the air outlet 300e. The external air that has reached the air outlet 300e passes through the air outlet 300e and flows into the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200.

[0097] At this time, the outside air flowing into the receiving space 200i mixes with vaporized particles generated by heating the aerosol-producing product 20 to generate aerosol, and the user can inhale the aerosol generated in the receiving space 200i by puffing. The second sensor 402 can sense a specific gas of the aerosol present in the receiving space 200i.

[0098] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining a temperature profile according to one embodiment.

[0099] 1 to 5, the control unit 410 can determine a temperature profile for the heater 210. The temperature profile for the heater 210 refers to a series of information recorded on how the temperature of the heater 210 is controlled over time. The control unit 410 reads one or more temperature profiles from a plurality of temperature profiles stored in a memory (not shown) and then controls the power supplied to the heater 210 according to the read temperature profile. If the power supplied to the heater 210 is appropriately controlled, the flavor of the aerosol generated can be changed depending on the temperature profile applied to heating the heater 210. For example, while smoking with the aerosol generating device, a user can experience a soft or deep smoking sensation depending on the temperature profile.

[0100] A user can insert various types of aerosol product 20 into the aerosol generating device. The aerosol generating device according to one embodiment can identify the aerosol product 20 inserted into the aerosol generating device, determine an optimal temperature profile based on the identification result, and control the operation of the heater 210.

[0101] The different aerosol product products 20 contain different aerosol-forming materials, have different aerosol-forming material composition ratios, and contain different flavor components for each type of aerosol product 20.

[0102] The control unit 410 can identify the aerosol product 20 inserted into the aerosol generating device using a lookup table stored in memory. The lookup table includes data indicating one or more concentrations, each concentration value being associated with data identifying the aerosol product 20. The lookup table also includes data indicating one or more concentrations, each concentration value being associated with a temperature profile. Specifically, the lookup table stored in memory may include information related to an expected cumulative gas concentration value, which will be described later. The temperature profile includes multiple sections. For example, the temperature profile may include a preheating section and a smoking section.

[0103] In step S510, the second sensor 402 of the aerosol generating device senses the gas concentration inside the device. Specifically, the second sensor 402 can sense a specific gas component of the aerosol present in the accommodation space 200i of the heater assembly 200.

[0104] In step S520, the control unit 410 of the aerosol generating device may accumulate the sensed gas concentration for a first period based on the sensing value received from the second sensor 402. The first period is a period before the end of the pre-heating period. That is, in step S520, the control unit 410 may calculate an accumulated value of a specific gas component in the aerosol generated by the aerosol product 20 inserted in the aerosol generating device for a certain period before the end of the pre-heating period.

[0105] In step S530, the control unit 410 of the aerosol generating device can compare the accumulated gas concentration with a lookup table stored in memory to identify the aerosol product 20 inserted into the aerosol generating device. The control unit 410 can also compare the accumulated gas concentration with the lookup table stored in memory to determine one of a plurality of temperature profiles stored in memory. As a result, the control unit 410 can determine an optimal temperature profile suitable for the identified aerosol product 20 and control the operation of the heater.

[0106] 6 and 7 are graphs relating to the temperature profile of an aerosol generating device according to one embodiment.

[0107] 6 and 7, the horizontal axis is the time axis, the left vertical axis is the temperature, and the right vertical axis is the cumulative gas concentration.

[0108] Graphs 610 and 710 are graphs of heater heating temperatures, graphs 620 and 720 are graphs of expected cumulative gas concentrations, and graphs 630 and 730 are graphs of sensed cumulative gas concentrations.

[0109] The temperature profile includes multiple sections. For example, the temperature profile is divided into a preheating section and a smoking section, and the section before t1 is the preheating section, and the section after t1 is the smoking section.

[0110] In the preheating section, the heater temperature rises from room temperature to a target temperature Tg1, which is a temperature at which the aerosol-generating substance is easily vaporized. After reaching the target temperature Tg1, the heater temperature drops within a certain range.

[0111] During the smoking section, a sufficient amount of aerosol-generating material is vaporized from the aerosol-producing article 20 to provide the user with a rich smoking experience. During the smoking section, the heater temperature is decreased in a stepwise manner. For example, the smoking section may include a holding section, in which the temperature is maintained for a certain period of time, and a decreasing section, in which the heater temperature is decreased by a certain range. During the smoking section, the heater temperature is decreased gradually or in steps by a combination of the holding section and the decreasing section.

[0112] As described above, in the aerosol generating device according to one embodiment, the control unit 410 identifies the aerosol product 20 inserted into the aerosol generating device, determines the optimal temperature profile, and controls the operation of the heater.

[0113] The temperature profile is designed based on the concentration of the specific gas in the aerosol. The flavor of the aerosol or the smoking sensation of the aerosol is determined by the concentration of the specific gas in the aerosol. The concentration of the specific gas in the aerosol is determined by the heating state of the aerosol product 20. The concentration of the specific gas that can convey the optimal flavor or smoking sensation to the user can be derived through experiments, and an optimal temperature profile can be designed that reflects the heating state of the aerosol product that generates the concentration of the specific gas.

[0114] However, even if the heater temperature is precisely controlled using a temperature profile, the heating state of the aerosol product 20 changes depending on the humidity of the aerosol product 20 and the humidity and temperature conditions outside the aerosol generating device, and the concentration of the specific gas in the actually generated aerosol differs from the concentration of the specific gas under experimental conditions.

[0115] 6 and 7, graphs 620 and 720 are cumulative gas concentration values ​​(hereinafter, cumulative gas concentration expected values) generated under the experimental conditions at the time the temperature profiles were designed. That is, the temperature profiles shown in graphs 610 and 710 are temperature profiles designed based on the cumulative gas concentration expected values ​​of graphs 620 and 720, and when the heating state of the aerosol product 20 matches graph 620, the user can be provided with an optimal smoking experience. Each of the multiple temperature profiles stored in memory includes information related to the cumulative gas concentration expected value. Graphs 630 and 730 are cumulative gas concentration values ​​(hereinafter, cumulative gas concentration sensed values) calculated by accumulating values ​​sensed by the second sensor 402 in an actual smoking environment.

[0116] 6 shows that the cumulative gas concentration sensed value is higher than the cumulative gas concentration expected value at time t1. Such a difference can occur when the humidity of the aerosol product 20 is low or the external temperature of the aerosol generating device is high compared to the experimental conditions at the time the temperature profile was designed.

[0117] The temperature profile needs to be fine-tuned, as the heating condition of the aerosol-producing article 20 must match the graph 620 to provide the optimal smoking experience to the user.

[0118] The control unit 410 can fine-tune the determined temperature profile based on the difference between the cumulative gas concentration sensed value of the graph 630 and the cumulative gas concentration expected value of the graph 620. Specifically, the control unit 410 needs to further reduce the degree of heating of the aerosol product 20 when the cumulative gas concentration sensed value is higher than the cumulative gas concentration expected value as shown in Fig. 6, i.e., when the difference between the cumulative gas concentration sensed value of the graph 630 and the cumulative gas concentration expected value of the graph 620 is a positive number.

[0119] As one embodiment of a method for further reducing the degree of heating of the aerosol product 20, the control unit 410 can adjust the target temperature for the second period (t1 to t2) after the first period to be lower than the preset target temperature Tg2. Alternatively, the control unit 410 can adjust the time t2 to be earlier, thereby adjusting the second period after the first period to be shorter than the preset period. Alternatively, the control unit 410 can adjust the target temperature for the second period after the first period to be lower than the preset target temperature Tg2 and adjust the second period to be shorter than the preset period.

[0120] Such fine-tuning of the temperature profile gradually reduces the difference between the cumulative gas concentration sensed value of graph 630 and the cumulative gas concentration expected value of graph 620, providing the user with an optimal smoking experience.

[0121] 7, which is different from FIG. 6, shows that the cumulative gas concentration sensed value is lower than the cumulative gas concentration expected value at time t1. Such a difference can occur when the humidity of the aerosol product 20 is high or the external temperature of the aerosol generating device is low compared to the experimental conditions at the time the temperature profile was designed.

[0122] Similar to FIG. 6, the temperature profile needs to be fine-tuned, as graph 710 showing the heating state of the aerosol product 20 must match graph 720 to provide the user with the optimal smoking experience.

[0123] The control unit 410 can fine-tune the determined temperature profile based on the difference between the cumulative gas concentration sensed value of the graph 730 and the cumulative gas concentration expected value of the graph 720. Specifically, the control unit 410 needs to further increase the degree of heating of the aerosol product 20 when the cumulative gas concentration sensed value is lower than the cumulative gas concentration expected value as shown in FIG. 7, i.e., when the difference between the cumulative gas concentration sensed value of the graph 730 and the cumulative gas concentration expected value of the graph 720 is a negative number.

[0124] As one embodiment of a method for further increasing the degree of heating of the aerosol product 20, the control unit 410 can adjust the target temperature for the second period (t1 to t2) after the first period so that it is higher than the preset target temperature Tg2. Alternatively, the control unit 410 can adjust the time t2 to be delayed, thereby adjusting the second period after the first period so that it is longer than the preset period. Alternatively, the control unit 410 can adjust the target temperature for the second period after the first period so that it is higher than the preset target temperature Tg2, and adjust the second period so that it is longer than the preset period.

[0125] Such fine-tuning of the temperature profile gradually reduces the difference between the cumulative gas concentration sensed value of graph 730 and the cumulative gas concentration expected value of graph 720, providing the user with an optimal smoking experience.

[0126] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a method for adjusting a temperature profile according to one embodiment.

[0127] In step S810, the control unit 410 of the aerosol generating device may accumulate the sensed gas concentration for a first period based on the sensing value received from the second sensor 402. The first period is a period immediately before the end of the pre-heating period. That is, in step S520, the control unit 410 may calculate an accumulated value of a specific gas component in the aerosol generated by the aerosol product 20 inserted in the aerosol generating device for a certain period before the end of the pre-heating period.

[0128] In steps S820 and S830, the control unit 410 of the aerosol generating device compares the accumulated gas concentration (the cumulative gas concentration sensing value in FIGS. 6 and 7) with the cumulative gas expected value stored in memory. If the comparison result shows that the cumulative gas concentration sensing value and the cumulative gas expected value are not the same, i.e., if there is a difference, the control unit 410 fine-tunes the temperature profile based on the difference between the cumulative gas concentration sensing value and the cumulative gas concentration expected value (step S840).

[0129] The method for fine-tuning the temperature profile is the same as that explained in FIGS. 6 and 7, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0130] FIG. 9 is a block diagram of an aerosol generating device according to another embodiment.

[0131] The aerosol generating device 900 includes a control unit 910, a sensing unit 920, an output unit 930, a battery 940, a heater 950, a user input unit 960, a memory 970, and a communication unit 980. However, the internal structure of the aerosol generating device 900 is not limited to that shown in Fig. 9. That is, a person having ordinary skill in the art related to this embodiment can understand that some of the components shown in Fig. 9 may be omitted or new components may be added depending on the design of the aerosol generating device 900.

[0132] The sensing unit 920 can sense the state of the aerosol generating device 900 or the state around the aerosol generating device 900 and transmit the sensed information to the control unit 910. Based on the sensed information, the control unit 910 can control the aerosol generating device 900 to perform various functions such as controlling the operation of the heater 950, restricting smoking, determining whether an aerosol product (e.g., cigarette, cartridge, etc.) is inserted, and displaying notifications.

[0133] The sensing unit 920 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of a temperature sensor 922, an insertion sensor 924, a puff sensor 926, and a gas sensor 928.

[0134] The temperature sensor 922 can sense the temperature to which the heater 950 (or the aerosol-generating substance) is heated. The aerosol-generating device 900 can include a separate temperature sensor that senses the temperature of the heater 950, or the heater 950 itself can function as a temperature sensor. Alternatively, the temperature sensor 922 can be disposed around the battery 940 to monitor the temperature of the battery 940.

[0135] The insertion detection sensor 924 can detect the insertion and / or removal of an aerosol product article. For example, the insertion detection sensor 924 can include at least one of a film sensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, a resistive sensor, a capacitive sensor, an inductive sensor, and an infrared sensor, and can detect a signal change due to the insertion and / or removal of an aerosol product article.

[0136] The puff sensor 926 can sense a user's puff based on various physical changes in the airflow passage or channel, such as a temperature change, a flow change, a voltage change, or a pressure change.

[0137] The gas sensor 928 can sense the concentration of a specific gas in the aerosol present in the aerosol generating device. The gas sensor 928 is a semiconductor gas sensor or an optical gas sensor.

[0138] The sensing unit 920 may further include at least one of a temperature / humidity sensor, an air pressure sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a position sensor (e.g., GPS), a proximity sensor, and an RGB (illuminance) sensor, in addition to the above-described sensors 922 to 926. The function of each sensor can be intuitively inferred by a person skilled in the art from its name, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0139] The output unit 930 can output and provide information about the status of the aerosol generating device 900 to a user. The output unit 930 includes, but is not limited to, at least one of a display unit 932, a haptic unit 934, and an audio output unit 936. When the display unit 932 and the touchpad are layered to form a touch screen, the display unit 932 is used as an input device in addition to being an output device.

[0140] The display unit 932 can visually provide a user with information about the aerosol generating device 900. For example, the information about the aerosol generating device 900 refers to various information such as the charge / discharge status of the battery 940 of the aerosol generating device 900, the preheating status of the heater 950, the insertion / removal status of an aerosol product, or a status in which use of the aerosol generating device 900 is restricted (e.g., abnormal item detection), and the display unit 932 can output the information to the outside. The display unit 932 can be, for example, a liquid crystal display panel (LCD), an organic light emitting display panel (OLED), or the like. The display unit 932 can also be in the form of an LED light emitting element.

[0141] The haptic unit 934 can convert an electrical signal into a mechanical or electrical stimulus and provide the user with tactile information about the aerosol generating device 900. For example, the haptic unit 934 may include a motor, a piezoelectric element, or an electrical stimulation device.

[0142] The acoustic output unit 936 can audibly provide the user with information about the aerosol generating device 900. For example, the acoustic output unit 936 can convert an electrical signal into an acoustic signal and output it to the outside.

[0143] The battery 940 can supply power used to operate the aerosol generating device 900. The battery 940 can supply power to heat the heater 950. The battery 940 can also supply power necessary for the operation of other components included in the aerosol generating device 900 (e.g., the sensing unit 920, the output unit 930, the user input unit 960, the memory 970, and the communication unit 980). The battery 940 may be a rechargeable battery or a disposable battery. For example, the battery 940 is a lithium polymer (LiPoly) battery, but is not limited thereto.

[0144] The heater 950 is supplied with power from the battery 940 and can heat the aerosol-generating material. Although not shown in Fig. 9, the aerosol-generating device 900 may further include a power conversion circuit (e.g., a DC / DC converter) that converts the power of the battery 940 and supplies it to the heater 950. Furthermore, when the aerosol-generating device 900 generates an aerosol by an induction heating method, the aerosol-generating device 900 may further include a DC / AC converter that converts the DC power of the battery 940 into AC power.

[0145] The control unit 910, the sensing unit 920, the output unit 930, the user input unit 960, the memory 970, and the communication unit 980 can function by receiving power from a battery 940. Although not shown in FIG. 9 , the device may further include a power conversion circuit, for example, an LDO (low dropout) circuit or a voltage regulator circuit, that converts the power of the battery 940 and supplies it to each component.

[0146] In one embodiment, heater 950 may be formed of any suitable electrically resistive material. For example, suitable electrically resistive materials include, but are not limited to, metals or metal alloys including titanium, zirconium, tantalum, platinum, nickel, cobalt, chromium, hafnium, niobium, molybdenum, tungsten, tin, gallium, manganese, iron, copper, stainless steel, nichrome, etc. Additionally, heater 950 may be embodied by, but is not limited to, a metal hot wire, a metal hot plate with a conductive track disposed thereon, a ceramic heating element, etc.

[0147] In another embodiment, heater 950 is an induction heater. For example, heater 950 may include a susceptor that generates heat through a magnetic field applied by a coil to heat the aerosol-generating material.

[0148] The user input unit 960 may receive information input by a user or output information to a user. For example, the user input unit 960 may be, but is not limited to, a keypad, a dome switch, a touchpad (e.g., a contact-type capacitance type, a pressure-type resistive film type, an infrared sensing type, a surface ultrasonic conduction type, an integral tension measurement type, a piezoelectric effect type, etc.), a jog wheel, a jog switch, etc. Although not shown in FIG. 9 , the aerosol generating device 900 may further include a connection interface such as a USB (universal serial bus) interface. The aerosol generating device 900 may be connected to another external device via the connection interface such as a USB interface to transmit and receive information or charge the battery 940.

[0149] The memory 970 is hardware that stores various data processed within the aerosol generating device 900 and can store data that has been processed by the control unit 910 and data to be processed by the control unit 910. The memory 970 includes at least one type of recording medium selected from the group consisting of a flash memory type, a hard disk type, a micro multimedia card type, a card-type memory (e.g., SD or XD memory), a random access memory (RAM), a static random access memory (SRAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a programmable read-only memory (PROM), a magnetic memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. The memory 970 can store data related to the operating time of the aerosol generating device 900, the maximum number of puffs, the current number of puffs, at least one temperature profile, and the user's smoking pattern.

[0150] In one embodiment, the memory 970 can store a lookup table. The lookup table includes data indicating one or more concentrations, each concentration value associated with data identifying an aerosol product. The lookup table also includes data indicating one or more concentrations, each concentration value associated with a temperature profile. The lookup table may also include information related to expected cumulative gas concentrations.

[0151] The communication unit 980 includes at least one component for communication with other electronic devices. For example, the communication unit 980 may include a short-range communication unit 982 and a wireless communication unit 984.

[0152] The short-range wireless communication unit 982 includes, but is not limited to, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) communication unit, a BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy) communication unit, a Near Field Communication unit, a WLAN (Wi-Fi) communication unit, a Zigbee (registered trademark) communication unit, an IrDA (infrared Data Association) communication unit, a WFD (Wi-Fi Direct) communication unit, a UWB (ultra wideband) communication unit, an Ant+ communication unit, etc.

[0153] The wireless communication unit 984 includes, but is not limited to, a cellular network communication unit, an Internet communication unit, a computer network (e.g., a LAN or WAN) communication unit, etc. The wireless communication unit 984 can also identify and authenticate the aerosol generating device 900 within the communication network using subscriber information (e.g., an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)).

[0154] The control unit 910 can control the overall operation of the aerosol generating device 900. In one embodiment, the control unit 910 includes at least one processor. The processor may be embodied as an array of multiple logic gates, or may be embodied by a combination of a general-purpose microprocessor and a memory storing a program executable by the microprocessor. Those skilled in the art will understand that the processor may also be embodied by other forms of hardware.

[0155] The control unit 910 can control the temperature of the heater 950 by controlling the supply of power from the battery 940 to the heater 950. For example, the control unit 910 can control the power supply by controlling the switching of a switching element between the battery 940 and the heater 950. As another example, a heating direct circuit can control the power supply to the heater 950 according to a control command from the control unit 910.

[0156] The control unit 910 may analyze the results sensed by the sensing unit 920 and control subsequent processing. For example, the control unit 910 may control the power supplied to the heater 950 to start or stop operation of the heater 950 based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 920. As another example, the control unit 910 may control the amount of power and the power supply time supplied to the heater 950 based on the results sensed by the sensing unit 920 to heat the heater 950 to a predetermined temperature or maintain an appropriate temperature.

[0157] The control unit 910 may control the output unit 930 based on the result sensed by the sensing unit 920. For example, if the number of puffs counted via the puff sensor 926 reaches a preset number, the control unit 910 may notify the user through at least one of the display unit 932, the haptic unit 934, and the audio output unit 936 that the aerosol generating device 900 will soon be shut down.

[0158] In one embodiment, the control unit 910 can control the time and / or amount of power supplied to the heater 950 depending on the state of the aerosol product (e.g., the aerosol product 20 in FIG. 1) sensed by the sensing unit 920. For example, when the aerosol product 20 is in an overly humid state, the control unit 910 controls the time of power supply to the induction coil (e.g., the induction coil 124 in FIG. 2) to increase the preheating time compared to when the aerosol product 20 is in a normal state.

[0159] In one embodiment, the controller 910 may integrate the sensed gas concentration for a first period based on the sensed value received from the gas sensor 928. The controller 910 may compare the integrated gas concentration with a lookup table stored in memory to identify the aerosol product inserted into the aerosol generating device. The controller may also compare the integrated gas concentration with a lookup table stored in memory to determine one of a plurality of temperature profiles stored in memory.

[0160] In one embodiment, the control unit 910 may adjust the determined temperature profile based on the sensing value of the gas sensor. Specifically, the control unit 910 may adjust the determined temperature profile in proportion to the difference between the accumulated gas concentration value and a preset expected accumulated gas concentration value.

[0161] An embodiment may also be embodied in the form of a recording medium containing computer-executable instructions, such as a program module executed by a computer. Computer-readable media are any available media accessible by a computer, including both volatile and nonvolatile media, and both separate and non-separate media. Computer-readable media also include both computer recording media and communication media. Computer recording media include both volatile and non-volatile, separate and non-separate media embodied in any method or technology for storing information, such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media typically include computer-readable instructions, data structures, other data in a modulated data signal, such as a program module, or other transmission mechanism, and include any information delivery media.

[0162] The above description of the embodiments is merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and equivalent embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the invention should be determined by the claims, and all differences within the scope equivalent to the contents of the claims should be construed as being included in the scope of protection determined by the claims.

Claims

1. a heater for heating the aerosol product; a gas sensor configured to sense the concentration of a specific gas; a control unit that controls the supply of power to the heater, The control unit An aerosol generating device that determines one of a plurality of temperature profiles based on the sensing value of the gas sensor.

2. The control unit Accumulating the concentration of the specific gas sensed by the gas sensor for a first period; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein any one of the plurality of temperature profiles is determined based on the concentration of the specific gas accumulated during the first period.

3. The control unit The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , wherein the determined temperature profile is adjusted based on the sensing value of the gas sensor.

4. The control unit Accumulating the concentration of the specific gas sensed by the gas sensor for a first period; The aerosol generating device according to claim 3, wherein the determined temperature profile is adjusted based on a difference between the concentration of the specific gas accumulated during the first period and a preset expected value of the cumulative gas concentration.

5. The control unit 5. The aerosol generating device according to claim 4, wherein when the difference value is a positive number, the target temperature for the second period subsequent to the first period is adjusted to be lower than the preset target temperature in proportion to the difference value.

6. The control unit The aerosol generating device according to claim 4, wherein when the difference value is a positive number, the temperature maintenance section included in the second period after the temperature increase section included in the first period is adjusted to be shorter than the preset period.

7. The control unit 5. The aerosol generating device according to claim 4, wherein when the difference value is a negative number, the target temperature for a second period subsequent to the first period is adjusted to be higher than the preset target temperature in proportion to the difference value.

8. The control unit The aerosol generating device according to claim 4, wherein when the difference value is a negative number, the temperature maintenance section included in the second period after the temperature increase section included in the first period is adjusted to be further extended than the preset period.

9. The gas sensor comprises: A light-emitting element that emits light; a light receiving element that receives the light; The aerosol generating device according to claim 1 , further comprising: an optical waveguide positioned between the light emitting element and the light receiving element, through which the light travels and into which the specific gas is introduced.

10. The heater is a coil that generates an alternating magnetic field; and a susceptor that generates heat by the alternating magnetic field generated by the coil and heats an aerosol product inserted into an accommodating space of the aerosol generating device, The aerosol generating device according to claim 9 , wherein the susceptor forms one surface of the optical waveguide.

11. 1. A method for controlling the operation of an aerosol generating device, comprising: commencing a heating operation of a heater that heats the aerosol product; Sensing the concentration of a specific gas in the aerosol generating device; and determining one of a plurality of temperature profiles based on the sensed value.

12. The method described in claim 11, further comprising a step of accumulating the concentration of the specific gas for a first period of time, and adjusting the determined temperature profile based on the difference between the concentration of the specific gas accumulated for the first period of time and a predetermined expected value of the cumulative gas concentration.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein if the difference value is a positive number, the target temperature for a second period subsequent to the first period is adjusted to be lower than the preset target temperature in proportion to the difference value.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein if the difference value is a positive number, a temperature holding section included in a second period following a temperature increasing section included in the first period is adjusted to be shorter than a preset period.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein if the difference value is a negative number, the target temperature for a second period subsequent to the first period is adjusted to be higher than the preset target temperature in proportion to the difference value.

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